Jul. 06, 2023
HARRISBURG – Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon) is issuing the following statement on the $45.55 billion state budget for Fiscal Year 2023-24:
“I voted no on the state budget last night. I believe in being fiscally responsible, ensuring our children have access to better education, providing property tax relief for homeowners and no energy taxes as our costs continue to rise with inflation.
“However, the state budget included none of those things. It increases spending by 6%, abandons students in failing schools, cuts services for the intellectually disabled and fails to remove Pennsylvania from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) – which will translate into a $500 million energy tax on residents. In a time where we should watch our bottom line because of inflation, the House Democrats chose to spend more and tax residents more.
“The fact that Gov. Josh Shapiro turned his back on his own campaign promise to kids stuck in failing schools is proof there is no sincerity or willingness to compromise coming from this administration. I am disappointed in how this budget process was handled and that the residents of the Commonwealth were not a priority to the governor.